Leather-whitening machine.



No. 63!,359. Patented Aug. 22, I899. T. P. commas. LEATHER WHITENINGMACHINE.

(Application filed. May 13, 1899.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

THE Noam, PEYERS co. PnoTc-Ln no" wAsHmuToN. o. c

No. 63l,359. Patented Aug. 22, I899.

T. P. CDUMBS.

LEATHER WHITENING MACHINE.

(Application filed May 13, 1899.) N0 Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 2.

NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

THOMAS P. COOMBS, OF PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE VAUGHNMACHINE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

LEATHER-WHITENING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,359, dated August22, 1899. Application filed May 13, 1899. Serial No. 716,673. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS P. COOMBS, a citizen of the United States,residingin Peabody, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Whitening-ll/Iachines, of which thefollow ing description, in connection with the accom-- panying drawings,is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to a machine for whitening leather, and has forits object to depth of the cut in the leather made by the said cylinder.These and other features of thisinvention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a whitening-machine embodying thisinvention; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking toward theright; Fig. 3, a sectional detail to be referred to, the section beingtaken on the line 3 3, Fig; 2; and Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional detailto be referred to.

The whitening cylinder or roll a, provided on its periphery withsuitable operating or cutting blades 19, is fast on a shaft 0, journaled in a hanger-frame d, pivotally mounted on a shaftf, havinghearings in the lower end of two pendulums g h, pivotally mounted attheir upper ends on a shaft 1', having bearings in horizontal levers jk, pivoted on a shaft of rod Z, supported in the upright side pieces m nof the main framework of the ma-- chine. The leversj 7c are connected attheir rear end by a tie rod or bar 0, from which depends a rod 19,extended through a cross-bar q and encircled by a spiral spring thetension of which is regulated by a nut s, the said 7 spring acting as acounterweight for the pendulum.

The pendulums g h are connected at their center by a rod 2, which isjoined. by two sets of links 3 4 t0 the side pieces or n of the mainframe, and the hanger-frame carrying the cylinder-shaft c is joined by aconnectingrod 5 to a pin 6 on a fly-wheel 7, fast on .the main shaft 8of the machine.

The hanger-frame dhas its lowerendjoined by adjustable links 9 to theconnecting-rod '5. The main shaft 8 is supported by the main frame andalso by the bracket 10 and standard 12 (see Fig. l) and, as shown, isprovided on one side of the main frame with fast and loose pulleys 13 14and on the opposite side with a pulley 15, connected by a belt 16 with apulley 17 on a shaft-18, supported by the main frame and by a bracket19, attached to one side thereof.

The shaft 18, on opposite sides of the framework, is provided withpulleys 20 21, connected by belts 22 23 with smaller pulleys 24 25 onthe shaft t', and the latter shaft has fast on it, between the sidepieces of the framework, a pulley 26, connected bya belt 27 with apulley 28 on the shaft f. The shaft f, on opposite sides of thehanger-frame, has fast on it pulleys 30 31, which are connected by belts32 33 to pulleys 34 35-on the cylindershaft 0 at opposite sides of thehanger-frame, the belts 32 33 also passing about the pulleys 36 37 onthe ends of a shaft 38, upon which is mounted a grinding-wheel 39,cooperating with the blades of the cutting-cylinder, the belts 32 33also passing about idler-pulleys 40 41 on studs or pins 42, carried byarms 43 44, attached to the hanger-frame, the said arms supporting theshafts 38 of the grindingwheel.

From the above description it will be noticed that the belt 27 and thepulleys 26 28 are in the same vertical plane with the cutting-cylinderand that the shaftf is belted at its opposite ends to the opposite endsof the cylinder-shaft 0, thereby obtaining whatmay able toward and awayfrom the path of movement of the cutting-cylinder. The bed 48, inaccordance with this invention, is supported upon levers pivoted to movein a vertical plane and connected to a foot-treadle 50, as will bedescribed, so as to be under the control of the operator and yet leavethe bed elastically supported.

The bed 48, as shown in Fig. 2, is connected at its opposite ends tolinks or rods 51 52, pivotally connected at their lower ends to arms 5354 of bell-crank levers 55 56, having their other arms 57 58 connectedtogether by a rod 59. The arm 57 of the bell-crank lever 55 is connectedto a rod 60, screw-threaded at its rear end and engaged by a threadedsleeve or nut 61, which is straddled by the forked lower end of the arm57. (See Fig. 3.) The rod 60 is extended loosely through a cross-head70, (see Figs, 2, 3, and 4,) which is adapted to slide in suitableguideways in arms or pieces 71 72, attached to the inner side of theside pieces of the main frame.

The sliding cross-head is engaged at its rear side by a nut 73,adjustable on the rod 60, (see Fig. 4,) and at its front side the saidcross-head has bearing against it one end of a spring 75, whichencircles the rod 60 and bears against asleeve 7 6, which may be movedon said rod to adjust the tension of the spring 75 by a nut 77, providedwith a hand-wheel 78, the said rod having fast on it a second hand-wheel7 9, by which the rod 60 may be turned to move the nut 61, and therebyadjust the bed 48. The sliding cross-head 70 is connected by a link toan arm 81 of the foot-treadle 50, which is pivoted at 82 and hasattached to it an arm 83, carrying a counterweight Sl adjustablethereon. The guidepieces 71 7 2 are provided, as shown, with adjustableback-stops or screws 85, (see Fig. 3,) which limit the-backward movementof the sliding cross-head.

From the above description it will be seen that the bed supporting theleather is at all times under control of the foot of the operator andthat by depressing the foot-treadle the sliding cross-head is movedforward,which carries with it the rod 60, connected to the bell-crank55, the spring 75 forming a yielding connection between the cross-headand the rod 60, and therefore the bed is elastically supported and atthe same time positively under the control of the treadle. \Vhen thepressure upon the foot-treadle is removed or lessened, the bed respondsby reason of the counterweight 84,which keeps the cross-head inconnection with the nut 73, thereby moving the rod 60 backward andlowering the bed according to the extent or amount the pressure iswithdrawn from the foot-treadle. In

this manner the bed is rendered sensitive to the foot of the operatorand also responds to the pressure of the cutting-cylinder,which isessential in a successful whitening-machine, 6 5

and in practice the bed is constantly in motion while the machine is inoperation, as the skin varies in thickness and it is desirable to removeas little of the skin as possible consistent with obtaining the desiredwhitening effect.

By supporting the bed on pivoted levers, which are connected to asliding cross=head by a yielding connection and connecting the saidcross-head to a foot-treadle, a sensitive machine is obtained with whichsuperior whitening of the leather may be effected.

I claim- 1. In a machine of the class described, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities, viz: a bed, levers upon which said bed issupported, a foot-treadle connected to said levers to positively movesaid levers and bed in opposite directions on the movement of saidfoot-treadle in opposite directions, and a yielding medium to impartelasticity to said bed, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, viz: a bed to support the Work, levers to supportsaid bed, a foot-treadle, a sliding cross-head to which said treadle isconnected, and a yielding connection between said crosshead and saidbed-supportinglevers, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of the followinginstrumentalities, viz: a vertically-movable bed, supporting-levers forsaid bed pivoted to move in a vertical plane, a sliding cross-head, arod connected to the bed-supporting levers and extended loosely throughsaid cross-head, means on said rod to engage said cross-head, a treadleconnected to said cross-head, and a yielding medium acting on saidcross-head in opposition to said treadle,substantially as described.

4:. In a machine of the class described, the combination of thefollowing instrumentalities,viz: a bed to support the work, an operatingcylinder or roll cooperating therewith, a pendulum, a hanger-framecarrying said cylinder or roll, a shaft carried by said pendulum, andupon which said hanger-frame is mounted, a rotatable shaft upon whichsaid pendulum is mounted to swing, pulleys on said shafts in line withthe said cylinder or roll, and pulleys at opposite ends of the shaftcarried by the lower end of the pendulum connected to pulleys on theshaftof the said cylinder or roll, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS P. COOMBS.

Witnesses:

JAs. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

